The Latest: Putin halts NKorea ties in line with UN demands

BRUSSELS (AP) - The Latest on European sanctions against North Korea (all times local):

5:15 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin says Russia is curtailing economic, scientific and other ties with North Korea in line with restrictions imposed by the United Nations.

Putin's decree, published Monday on the state legal portal, orders the halting of an array of economic, scientific and technical ties with Pyongyang in accordance with sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council in November 2016.

It includes various restrictions on trade, financial transactions and transport ties with North Korea.

Russia and China have backed U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear and missile programs, though Moscow emphasized that the sanctions mustn't hurt ordinary people.

Moscow and Beijing also proposed to negotiate a freeze in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs along with a freeze on military maneuvers by U.S. and South Korea.

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5 p.m.

The European Union has slapped new sanctions on North Korea for developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.

The sanctions agreed by EU foreign ministers Monday include a total ban on EU investment in North Korea, and a ban on the sale of refined petroleum products and crude oil.

The EU slashed from 15,000 to 5,000 euros ($17,700 to 5,900) the amount of money people can send to North Korea, as it believes these "personal remittances" are used to back Pyongyang's arms programs.

The ministers also decided not to renew work permits for North Koreans working on their territories, apart from refugees and others in need of international protection.

Asset freezes and travel bans were slapped on a further three people and six "entities," which are usually companies or organizations.